Construction material



Aug. 29, 1933. c. GIBBONS m" AL CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL Filed July 29, 1929 6!: lkllllilihluvi 1 amateugumww Gaza 3L duoquqw Patented Aug. 29, 1933 CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL Cedric Gibbons, Santa Monica, and Ernest I. Tate, Los Angeles. Calif, assignors to Metro- Goldwyn-layer Corporation. Culver qty.

Calif a corporation of New York Application Il 2, 1029. Serial No. "MI.

I Claim. 154-44) 1111s invention relates to a new and novel construction material particularly adapted for use in the construction of stages and scenes used in the taking and recording of picture and sound records The invention also relates to a method of making a light weight construction material for scene construction.

In the taking of motion picture records with accompanying sound records, the scenes are generally taken in large sound stages or buildings,

which are thoroughly insulated against the passage of sounds from the exterior and provided with sound absorbing internal surfaces so as to prevent reverberation in the building per so. A plurality of scenes are generally constructed within the sound stage building. Heretofore scenes have been generally constructed of such materials as plaster board, paper board, wood, etc. Even when such stages have been constructed of loosely felted fibrous boards, such as boards made from sugar cane bagaase, and the surfaces then painted to conform with the desired effect, a great deal of reverberation has been set up in the individual scenes. For this reason, in the taking of sound recording it has been substantial- 1y impossible to employ a scene having three walls, such as for example, the three walls of a room. as the reverberation set up in the space thus enclosed produces a sound record which is indistinct. mixed and mumed.

An object oi this invention is to disclose and provide a construction material adapted to be used in scene c nstruction which permits the being used in the taking of sound records without producing undue reverberation.

Another object is to disclose and provide a construction material adapted for scene construction which is light in weight. porous, incapable of refleeting sound and capable of permitting the passage of sound theretbrough.

Another object is to disclose and provide a construction material particularly adapted for scene construction which may be readily bent, curved. cut, nailed and rolled.

A still further object is to disclose and provide a construction material which may be colored readily. and which may be caused to assume diflerent textures or surface characteristics.

Another object is to disclose and provide a method of making a'construction material capable of permitting the passage oi sourd waves therethrough.

Another object a to disclose and provide a erection of three or four sided scenes. capable of method of making a porous construction material particularly adapted for use in scene construction Other objects, uses and advantages of the invention described hereinafter in detail will become apparent to those skilled in the art.

In describing the invention, reference will be had to the appended drawing. in which:

Fig. l is a perspective of a typical set or scene erected from a material made in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a section greatly enlarged, through a portion of the construction material made in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic representation of an apparatus which may be used in making the construction material embraced by this invention. it being understood that the arrangement of elements in such diagrammatic representation is merely illustrative of one method which may be employed and of one apparatus. and that numerous changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of this invention.

As shown in Fig. I, it is very often desirable to erect a scene or set which contains at least three walls, such as the side walls 1 and 2, and an end wall 3. By employing the three side walls to a scene. a greater angle of view may be embraced and a greater lldelity of picture reproduction obtained. Furthermore, such construction permits the director and cameraman to most effectively direct the cameras-or the lens of the camera, and most eilcctively group the actors.

The scene represented in Fla. 1 illustrates a medieval kitchen and includes a niche 4 in the far wall 3. which contains a curved or bee-hive oven 5. A door 6 is seen in an aperture or archway in the side wall 2.

The walls 1, 2 and 3 are. in accordance with this invention. preferably constructed of a foraminous material coated with a layer or layers of commlnutcd or fibrous material described in detail hereafter.

The foraminous material with its porous coating is preferably stretched upon a suitable framework '1 and maintained in the desired position by means of a false-work indicated generally at 8.

The construction material used in making the walls 1. 2. 8 and other portions of the scene. such 105 as the nitch 4 and the oven 5. comprises a foraminous base 9. preferably consisting of a wire mesh or netting. A screening having eight to twelve meshes per lineal inch has been found to be very no satisfactory. such ioraminous base is then pref- .terial D.

erably coated with an adhesive material, such as for example, a glue solution. shellac. a lacquer or an asphaltic material, and a fibrous material. generally indicated at 10. then applied to the foraminous base before the adhesive has set or hardened. Sawdust. preferably screened so that material finer than about twenty-four mesh has been removed. is very suitable for use as the comminuted material for coating the foramious base.

In order to create a coating of appreciable thickness. on the surface of the foraminous mait may be necessary and desirable to spray the initial coating of comminuted or fibrous material with an additional quantity of adhesive. and then apply a second layer of the comminuted or fibrous material thereto.

The comminuted or fibrous material 10 may be applied to the foraminous base 9 by hand by being mreened thereinto or by being blown thereon. The applications of adhesive and fibrous material are preferably made until a layer of fibrous material is formed on the foraminous material of a thickness capable of substantially promoting the passage of light therethrough. Only a nominal amount of adhesive is to be applied to the subsequentccatings of fibrous material. so as to maintainthe layer of fibrous material formed on the netting porous.

A layer of fibrous or uted porous matexial applied in this manner to a netting may be smoothed or troweled so as to produce a smooth finish while the adhesive employed in attaching said porous or comminuted material to the notting is still plastic or semi-fluid. If. however. it is desired to produce a construction material having a rough or irregular surface (such as is obtained. for example. by a rough stucco finish) then the porous or fibrous material need not be troweled. It will be found that estimates or lumps..such as for example the lump indicated at ll. will form over the surface of the netting and thus produce a rough surface.

lifter a layer of suchporous comminuted or fibrous material has been formed on the base of wire mesh or other foraminous material. it may be desirable to impart a suitable coloring thereto. In construction materials of this character. it is undesirable to employ viscous points which would tend to clog the porosities ct the material.

Preferably, a construction material made as ,described ve is sprayed with a dye capable 0d imparting a suitable color to the material without forming films or otherwise clogging the pcrositics of such material. Any suitable dye may be employed. the character of said dye varying somewhat with the character of the com minuted or fibrous material employed in making reconstruction material. If desired. the comminutedorfibrmssmaterialmsybe dyedbeiore bcinalppliodtothensttinmbutthefirst named method ispreferred.

A construction material made in accordance with this invention may be out to desired shape. bent or curved. and may be readily attached to a false-work or other suitable support. Furthermore, the construction material is porous. the porosities extending completely through the layer of material. andforthisreasonsound wavesreadilypenetrate the material. As a result. a set or scone constructed therefrom may be used for the simultaneous recording of pictures and sound effects. even though a complete room with four walls and a ceiling is constructed therefrom, as the sounds is light in weight. flexible,

will not reverberate from the walls or ceiling, but instead pass through said walls and be absorbed in said construction to a certain extent. The passage of light through such walls is substantially prevented, although a certain quantity of light may pass therethrough when only a very thin layer or a comminuted r fibrous material is applied to the netting.

It is to be understood that a material of the herelnabove described characteristics may be made in any suitable type of apparatus or by hand. In Fig. 3. however, there is shown diagrammatically an arrangement of elements of a machine which may be employed.

Referring to llg. 8, a foraminous material such asawiremeshfromaroll 12maybefed intoa suitable tank or receptacle 13 supplied with an adhesive fluid 14. The wire mesh from roll 12 may pass under a weighted roller 15 so as to cause said mesh to be partly or completely submerged in the adhesive ii. The mesh may then pass over a roller 10. and then pass under a screen or distributing hopper 17 containing the fibrous, porous or comminuted material with which it is desired to coat the mesh.

The member 1'! may comprise a plurality of sprays adapted to blow the fibrous material (such as sawdust) upon the mesh. A receptacle 18 may be positioned beneath the hopper or lDDLflng member 17, so as to attach any material which may pass through the mesh or netting. Excess eomminuted or fibrous material may be removed from the netting by means 0! a flexible scraper or trowel 19. In order to apply further coatings of fibrous or comminutcd material. the mesh with one coating thereon may then pass over a roller 20, and then under a spray means 21 by means of which a light application of adhesive is made to the netting and fibrous materiel adhering thereto Additional'quantities of fibrous material may then be applied in any suitable manner as by means of air blowing at 22. the excess being removed again (if necessary or desired) by means of a flexible scraper 23. The finished construction material may then be wound upon a reel 24.

The hereinabove described apparatus permits the continuous manufacture of a construction material desoribed-hereinabcve, and such finished construction material may'then be applied to suitable false-work in the construction of stages or scenes and dyed aitersa'id material has been erected.

It is to be understood that numerous changes and modifications can be made in the method of making the material without departing from this invention. For example. the netting or foraminous material may be applied to the false-work and a complete set or scene constructed therefrom, and such scene or set then alternately sprayed with adhesive and fibrous or comminuted porous material so as to form the coating directly upon the'set or scene. This method may be particularly useful when the set or scene contains a large number of curves. niches. doorways and vthe like. as all Joints and laps may be readily covered and concealed. The finished structures made from a corltruotion material embraced by this invention have every characteristic of solidity and strength. although they are extremely porous and light. We claim:

i. A construction material for scene construction having porosities extending completely therethroush. said construction material comprising a mruninou's material having a layer of commlnuted porous material carried thereby, an edhesive being carried by said fox-ominous material in quantity sufllcient to cause said porous 5 material to adhere thereto hut lnsumclent to fill the openings of sold foramlnous material.

2. A construction material for scene construction hsvin: porosities extending completely therethrouzh. said construction material comprisinaai'oraminousmaterisihavinaalsyerod sawdust carried thereby, m adhesive beinz carried by said loraminous material in quantity m1- ncient to oause ssld sawdust to adhere thereto hut insumeient to fill the openings 0! said Ioraminous material nor coat the surfaces of particles of said sawdust to seal the inherent poroelties thereof.

CEDRIC GIBBONB. ERNEST H. TATE.

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